You Found Me
by RouthFan
Summary: Slight AU to SR: Lois and Clark have a "come to Jesus meeting" where arguments fly and both long for the simple days when they had just met. After all, Lois still loves him, but consequently, remembers EVERTYING.
1. All Alone Smoking Her Last Cigarette

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in the story, WB owns them all (darn it). As for lyrics chosen as titles for the Chapters, credit goes to "The Fray" and their song "You Found Me."**

**This four chapter fiction was originally a 6,000 word oneshot for a livejournal challenge. As somethings are better of short and sweet, others are not. Personally, I think this is one of those situations where a condensed version doesn't flow as well as a flushed out story. The challenge was a song title, which some of the lyrics I chose to encorporate into the titles of each chapter. "You Found Me" by the Fray was the challenge theme that I had selected and served as the basic muse for the plot. **

**That being said, this is post SR however a slightly AU, wherease Richard White does in fact, exist but had not been engaged to Lois, simply and on again, off again boyfriend who thought he had fathered her son Jason. Although we all know differently! I would like to say a great big thank you to NiteAngel who's beta assistance and feedback really helped develop this fiction into a far better version than the original...if you doubt me, log on to LiveJournal and see for yourself. Anyway, on with the story, I really hope you enjoy, it was fun to write.**

* * *

You Found Me

All Alone Smoking Her Last Cigarette

Clark's closed fist remained suspended over the unfamiliar paneled wooden door, hesitant to strike it. The neighborhood was familiar, the same actually, but the building was different; then again, _they _were different - himself and Lois, that is. Nothing had seemed to stay the same or last for that matter.

After a nervous exhale, the door in front of his eyes dissipated, only to reveal scattered crayons and papers with scribbles strewn across the living room carpet. The stillness in the apartment offered nothing further as to the identities of the occupants, with the sole exception of a child's shallow and slow respirations; asleep someplace inside.

He continued his search beyond the walls that separated the kitchen and living room, toward the balcony. The woman leaning against the rail was without a doubt, Lois.

Her back was turned with a glass and half finished cigarette in hand, and the other gripped an iron balcony railing. A gust of humid air wafted from the streets below, lifting errant wisps of her hair along the updraft. Her unmistakable profile came into view as she turned and sat on a patio chair; she seemed lost in thought.

Instantly an overwhelming sense of awkwardness proved difficult for Clark to knock on her door and intrude upon perhaps an inappropriate time. But he had to talk to her. Things had been so complicated since he came back; they were not how he had thought they would be.

Since he returned, Lois had barely acknowledged his presence. Considering he had left abruptly and without a memory of his identity, a cold shoulder and frosty reception to Superman's return was not exactly unexpected.

However, the complete indifference and blatant disregard of Clark Kent - her work colleague, her old friend, or best friend as he would have been so bold as to ascertain -well that was utterly perplexing.

It had seemed something of an anomaly at first, one he had immediately dismissed as an incredibly busy work week. After all, Superman had returned and once again, ironically, Lois had unintentionally landed herself directly in the midst of the splashy story. Without question she was bombarded with work and fending off the tabloid bottom feeders that flooded her telephone line.

But there was something more to it than that. There was a lack of warmth between the reporting team. It was as if they had never met before, that the many years they had worked together had meant absolutely nothing and at best, had merely been casual work acquaintances long ago.

Seemingly, Clark Kent had never existed to Lois Lane. He doubted his ability to erase her memory had delved_ that_ far backward. After he had kissed her, she knew he was her partner and had demonstrated no difficulty sending him to fetch her breakfast requests.

But he had been in the office nearly three weeks and nothing between the two journalists had changed. No friendly bickering or snide remarks with a sly lopsided grin ensued as the two returned to their journalistic pairing. None of it… merely a bare minimum of purely professional exchanges, and that was on a good day.

Mostly Lois had not bothered to involve her partner on leads, tips or new breaking information on stories that they shared. Clark had found it rather difficult and frustrating to piecemeal their joint article together when Lois had left him to complete their work before the deadline.

_That_ was something the tenacious reporter _never _did, not once before he had left. Lois had always been adamant on scouring each line of text in a hawk-like fashion. If her name was attached to it, she refused to pass it along to Perry without a final consent… but not anymore.

"_Got to run. School's not going to keep my son all night. Finish it up alright, Kent?" she shouted without failure to turn and directly address the open-mouthed man who sat at her desk._

Then there was Jason. A shock he never had expected. A child. _His._ That was something he had not even considered a possibility, yet his son existed. He was flesh and bone, had a name and currently fast asleep a few rooms away.

_A pair of wide blue eyes looked up and something stirred inside the man as the child smiled. Lois brushed his hair back, bent over and kissed her son on the forehead. She spoke with a softness he had not heard before._

"_He's a little fragile, but someday he'll grow up big and strong, like his Daddy."_

He swallowed, pushed up the glasses on his nose and with firm resolve, soundly struck his knuckles across the door.

As he blinked, the image of Lois re-entering the apartment from the balcony dissolved into a fog, with only the mahogany directly in front of him. Her footsteps fell quickly but lightly across the carpet, to the door. As Clark's hands dug into his pockets, the door flew open.

"Oh. It's just…well, you."

"Gee, I'm sorry to interrupt your evening, Lois."

"Slow news night tonight I presume? Glad you could pencil me in." She spun on her heel and returned to the kitchen.

"Well, I guess sometimes I strike out when Perry wants me to cover anything that breaks overnight. But that's not why I'm here actually..."

Lois busied herself with rinsing the remaining dishes from dinner and loaded them into the dishwasher.

"Our article on the environmental lobbyists is done. _I_ turned it in to Perry when _you _decided to pull a fast disappearing act this afternoon. You're welcome, by the way."

The towel that had been wiping down the wet countertop was forcibly slung onto its hanger as Lois briefly looked up to fire a warning glare.

She continued.

"Well, since we don't have another assignment I'm aware of that requires our collaboration and it's somewhat late in the evening, I'm tired and I'm getting ready for bed. I'm in no mood to entertain tonight. Consider it a raincheck."

"Lois, I need to talk to you." His voice was calm but urgent.

Lois held up a hand as he opened his mouth to proceed.

"You want to talk? Fine. But we're going to take this outside, Jason's asleep and I'd rather not wake him. He's a light sleeper."

Something about the remark and the undertones it carried gave Clark the impression there was a subtle jab. It set him on edge.

As she sat in a patio chair, Lois turned her attention briefly to the city view from the balcony and then to Clark.

The hard expression she bore did not fail to hit its intended target; the instant weight pressed heavily upon his chest. The strong ache caused the man to long for when they met, nearly ten years ago. In the beginning, when it was so black and white, when things were so simple.

* * *

Navigating Metropolis's maze of city streets and the majority of the globe was almost instinctual from above, yet Clark found himself nearly unable to find the Daily Planet building on foot. The task of locating Perry White's office was almost as daunting. How ironic.

The towering figure of the bright-eyed reporter inwardly chuckled in amusement at his entertaining predicament and consequently, drew attention of a few hardened journalists and accountants that accompanied him in the crowded elevator.

"Nice morning, isn't it?"

It was painfully obvious Clark was not only a novice reporter but city dweller as well. Far too cheerful for the early morning.

The roar of the seemingly uncontrolled chaos flooded the man's sensitive ears as others jostled him to the front of the elevator onto the 35th floor of the Daily Planet building.

People directly in front of him somehow miraculously avoided a full collision as most were buried in the pages in front of them. Traffic on the bullpen floor flowed without incident as individuals remained generally oblivious to their surroundings.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" a gruff man looked up briefly from his copy to yell. He stood nearly two inches from the tall reporter, visibly offended at the obstruction in his normal route to the editor's desk.

"Exc-cuse me s-sir, can you tell me…"

The man disappeared as abruptly as he materialized. Clark nervously pushed the thick glasses up his nose. How on earth was he going to find his new employer's office?

"Back office, editor in chief," he muttered to himself.

"Excuse me? You, tall guy! Out of my way if you're going to just stand there," a woman barked as her shoulder hit his elbow. She paused, threw an angry glance in his direction and rubbed her shoulder.

"I'm looking for a P-Perry White's office."

Papers rustled in her hands as she waved him toward her.

"With me. Hurry up. I don't have all day. Some of us have work and deadlines to get to," she huffed as her heels weaved expertly through the isles of cubicles, copiers and other staff.

The beautiful yet impatient woman tucked a strand of brown hair behind her ear and stopped briefly in exasperation.

"Are you coming or not? I'm on my way to his office. Get a move on."

"Thanks, Miss…"

"Lois Lane." The door swung open into a cluttered and impressive office. "And you are?"

"Clark Kent."

"Lois! I see that you found our newest reporter Clark Kent. Thanks, kid. I was worried your partner wouldn't find it. Big change from the wheat fields of Kansas, isn't it?"

Clark motioned to reply but the woman who was visibly displeased with the idea of a partnership interjected.

"Partner!" Lois's hazel eyes narrowed in displeasure. She glared at the unassuming new man.

"Yes, Lois, your partner."

Suddenly he had found himself in between two snarling egos and made an attempt to diffuse the situation.

"Golly, Miss Lane. You found me! If you hadn't, I never would have made it." He grinned.

"Yup," she grumbled. "Just great."

Clark made every effort to dismiss the hair that prickled along his hairline and the strong sense of foreboding that with this woman who apparently was his partner, that things were not going to be simple or easy. He smiled and adjusted his tie.

* * *

The hollow clink of the ice cubes against a glass that shifted resonated across the otherwise silent patio. The incredibly blue pair of eyes behind the thick horn rimmed glasses waited.

"Well?"

An eyebrow rose in curiosity at the simple and accusatory statement. The skepticism that was thick in her statement was unable to mask the longing in Lois' eyes.

An evening summer breeze stirred and gently rustled the jet black hair along his forehead. The glass of what was most assuredly Bombay Sapphire Gin was empty with the exception of the ice cubes that slowly melted.

Lois continued, "What can I do for you? I don't recall giving you my address, _you_ found me. "

"Yes, I found you," he commented, pushing his glasses up his nose and continued, "You didn't give it to me. I found it in the Planet's directory. In fact, that is what's been bothering me and the reason I came to talk to you." The patio chair creaked as Clark's weight shifted.

The ice cubes swirled coolly in Lois's glass.

"Oh? What bothers you? The fact that paper directories have become obsolete during the time span that you disappeared from the face of the Earth? Or that you didn't know where I lived?"

The rapid questions that succeeded his own were somewhat irritating and intentional. Lois knew damn well it was an obscenely infuriating trait she possessed that drove him mad. Pure and simple.

"Both." A steady yet uncertain hand pushed back the dark hair that flopped in front of his eyes. "Lois, we've worked together for a long time…."

"We _did _work together a long time. A _long _time ago." The deliberately emphasized past tense hurt. Clark chose to disregard the snide remark.

"You never told me you moved…"

Her hand waved indifference as she glanced over the balcony and the towering skyscrapers. "I forgot. Things have changed since you left. I didn't think you'd really notice, or care for that matter."

He may have been a bit rusty reading Lois but akin to flying and riding a bicycle, some behaviors of his partner were_ not_ forgotten; as plain as ink on a page. She was furious. At what exactly, proved a mystery and Clark was finished with guessing.

"Is this what everything's been about?"

Lois blinked, feigned innocence. "What's what about? Honestly, Clark, sometimes you don't make any sense." Coolly, his partner tipped her head back, reclined in the chair that opposed him and tilted back the nearly empty tumbler.

"You know what I mean. You've been avoiding me since I came back."

Lois swallowed abruptly at his blatant comment. She snorted indignantly and sat upright in disbelief at the accusation. "I have _not._"

"You've barely said a word to me in three weeks."

"I've been busy. It's only been two and a half weeks, Clark. Don't give yourself too much credit," she replied callously. "I think I've said plenty."

"We were friends."

Lois set the glass on the concrete and looked expectantly at her partner. The calm exterior only masked the racing heart that pounded, the shallow respirations, the crimson flush that burned the tips of her ears.

"We were more than that. You know better, Clark." It was really happening. They were actually having _the _conversation. She was going to play her hand.

"Lois, I don't exactly…"

"Oh yes you do. You know _exactly_ what I'm talking about." Her eyes looked across the patio through the sliding glass door into the toy-littered living room. "Did you really think that you could kiss me, disappear without a word of explanation a few days later and I _wouldn't_ have a slight problem with _that_?"

Lois leaned forward as she often did when a prey during an interview was about to succumb… when she went in for the kill.

"Where were you, Clark? When everything started falling apart?"

An immense wave of guilt rolled through him as her eyes grew glassy in the darkness. Despite the incredibly tough exterior that Lois displayed when he had disappeared, she was devastated.

"I've asked you before, but once more, I'm asking you again. How could you leave us like that?"

Her heart pounded so loudly, it drowned out the noise of taxis and city traffic below. Finally, after nearly three weeks, she was able to muster the courage to tell him everything that had been pent up for five long years.

"Clark, you need to be honest with me, and don't give me a load of bullshit. I can sniff out a pile of manure a mile away and I sure as hell won't buy a safari in Africa as an excuse because I haven't forgotten one… _damn_… thing. You may have a lot of amazing abilities." She laughed bitterly. "But come on, erasing memories isn't one of them."

The sarcasm that attempted to mask her injured gaze dissected through Clark's façade.

Her face fell as he remained quiet. "It was a _joke_, Clark."

"It wasn't funny."

"It's called sarcasm, Clark, or would you prefer me to call you by some other name..." she trailed.

He remained solemn, characteristically folded his arms has Superman often did despite the grey suit and glasses he currently wore.

"Lois…" he warned.

A knot formed in her stomach and it tightened. Perhaps she had gone too far. He had apologized profusely and they shared a child. She needed to be an adult about their situation. Pettiness was difficult to shelf but necessary in certain circumstances in life.

"You didn't really kiss me and thought you had some type of ability to wipe away a piece of my memory…_did_ you?"

"There are theories based upon scientific fact my father had left me from Krypton that had given every indication that it was within the realm of possibilities."

"What? You've got to be kidding… I can't believe this." She stood and began to pace. "I hope you're damn comfortable in that chair," she pointed in Clark's direction, "because I've got a lot of questions for you. Unless the President himself asks for your help, buddy, tonight your ass stays planted in _that _chair. Got it?"

"You can ask me anything, Lois, you know that." Game over. They both knew it.

Lois looked away, unable to maintain the air of indifference as her cheeks burned. It was pointless.

The stillness and silence that hung between Lois and Clark only seemed to drive a larger wedge between the couple. It was the calm before the storm that was brewing.

Lois was beyond words. She was completely and utterly baffled, not to mention furious that he had attempted such a theory left by his Kryptonian father. It was insulting.

"So," she began curtly, "is that what I meant to you? A roll in the hay and then wipe the mind clean of a _simple_ human for your covenience? Because we're just _so inferior_ to _your _highly advanced and intelligent race…"

"It's not like…"

"No Clark," she harshly interjected. "You are going to let me have my say, and I know I deserve at least that much. To think I had been eaten alive with worry for years…_years _Clark, after you had left."

The cheeks on Lois's face began to burn as the fire blazed in her eyes. Her voice stayed low, yet the menacing nature was more intimidating then when she raised it.

"Five years Clark, Superman, Kal El whatever the hell your name is…five years is a_ long_ time to have been abandoned without an answer."

"I didn't abandon you."

"Yes, yes you did. You left without a word of explanation. How else would you put it?"

Clark swallowed. She was right. He did abandon her, no matter how many attempts he had made to rationalize his choice in the past, it was a grievous error in judgment. One he wished he could recant.

Lois paced as she continued.

"Do you even know what it was like here after you left?" Her injured stare dissected to Clark's core. "I suppose you don't. After all, you were gone. Did you know that just about every leader of the free world inundated me with questions about where you were? Asking Lois Lane, Superman's press agent, knew where he had gone? Have you ever heard desperation in the voice of the President of the United States? Have you ever heard Great Brittan's Prime Minister beg? Because Clark, I can tell you, there are thousands of people who would still be alive had you stayed."

"I've read the papers my mother saved for me if I ever made it back from Krypton. I know what happened when I was gone. I know damn well those people would not have died if I was here. Do you think I'm completely void of any emotion Lois?"

"I don't know, are you? You're not human. How the hell am I supposed to know if you actually feel anything? Do you have even the faintest idea how scared I was when I found out I was pregnant with your child? How alone I felt? Screw what the world wanted and needed Clark…_I _needed you."

"And you thought that hadn't occurred to me? I had no idea you were pregnant."

"What…you didn't check? Give me a once over?"

"No, I wanted to respect your privacy."

"Ah. I see. But attempting to steal a memory from me was not as invasive. I get it. Attempting to take the memory of how our son was created was just fine. Completely acceptable. How silly of me to get the two confused."

"We were both younger than we are now, I'm not a perfect person Lois. I openly admit I have made choices in my life that have effected others that I am not proud of. I did what I thought was best at the time. I'm sorry."

"If you had known I was pregnant, would things have been different?"

"I would never have left."

"I guess it was better that you didn't know then, because the last thing I'd ever want in my life is to have someone stick around who didn't want to be there simply out of obligation."

It was Clark's turn to bleed his emotions, the things he had mulled over and over again but had never spoken of to anyone.

"Every time I see our son, it hurts. I wasn't there when he was born, when he took his first step, or started to talk. I missed all of it and there is a part of me that is incredibly envious of Richard White. He was the one who's finger Jason's tiny hand grasped when he was a baby. Not mine. It's an emptiness I can't fill."

He stood, walked to the balcony, looked down to the streets below and briefly paused to listen in the night air for any cries of help. He turned to Lois, and directly addressed her.

"To see you every day, an arm's length away and I _can't _have you. Lois, I miss you so much it aches."

Lois buried her face in her hands, exhaled in frustration and looked at Clark in question.

"Where do we go from here?"

"I don't know," he confessed. They remained distanced from each other.

"But Superman has all the answers…right?"

"Lois," he spoke softly "You and I both know that I don't," he spoke softly.

She sighed. "I know. I just wish at least one of us did."

Her mind raced back to the beginning; longing for simpler times, when they collided and sparks flew. How were they to know this is how things would be? There were still fresh wounds, when he left without a word; when she was left with nothing.

* * *

Lois's right shoulder throbbed, intense pain seared through the rotator cuff into the ribcage. Her shoulder girdle felt as if it were ready to rip directly from the bones in her chest as the rest of her body hung perilously above the streets of Metropolis. It was the last day of her life.

The sweat that continued to grow in her palm and it made the ability to grip the seatbelt increasingly difficult.

_I am going to die. This can't be happening. _

It was pointless to scream for help in a helpless situation. No one from the roof could reach her and anyone fifty floors below would be unable able to catch her soon to be plummeting body. Despite the ridiculousness of it all, her lungs and throat burned as she hoarsely screamed for anyone to rescue her.

"Help! Come on! Someone! Please!"

Her hands slipped further down the seatbelt to the buckle as the metal fasteners groaned from her weight. In a surreal haze, she looked down at the crowd and well lit streets below.

RIP!

Suddenly the belt gave way as she clung to it. Her stomach rose to her throat as a guttural scream came from the falling reporter. Instinctually her arms flailed and clawed at the air that rushed past as Lois plummeted.

Her eyes began to tear, obscuring her vision as the rapid pace of the wind stung and bit at her face. The ground below that grew closer was blurred. Lois took what was most assuredly to be her last breath. At least she wouldn't feel a thing.

Her body instantly jerked to a halt and an eerie quiet replaced the wind that flooded her eardrums only seconds before. She was still alive. It _couldn't_ be. There had to be a logical explanation.

Lois's eyes in complete disbelief opened and below, darkened windows of The Planet began to fall away as she began to ascend.

_I must have died. I've gone to heaven. This must be an angel come to take me to St. Peter himself. _Again, the stunned woman blinked and rapidly gained her bearings.

Lois looked up, and directly into a pair of blue eyes that belonged to a man who had caught her. A heck of a catch, considering they were far from the ground. One of the Planet's photographers had better have gotten_ that_ shot.

The greatest insult to injury would have been another paper scooping her front-page worthy situation. After all, if it was necessary to experience a near death situation with nearly losing control of her bladder in the process, her picture had damn well better be on the front page of the paper that employed her.

After a swallow to push down the intense surge of vertigo, she searched above for the cable cord and the rescue crew who had most likely lowered the man down to snag her.

_Where the hell was the cable? _Wherever it was, it had better not snap. Rushing at the speed of gravity to the ground twice in less than five minutes was not exactly a life experience Lois wished to pursue.

"Easy, Miss, I've got you."

Lois stunned, blinked and searched the dark sky overhead. There appeared to be_ no_ rescue line. _Ridiculous, Lane. Get a grip._ Lois struggled to breathe. Despite all common sense that would immediately dismiss the absurd notion, she began to heavily doubt that such a cable existed. It _had_ to be impossible.

"Y-you've got me." She had found her voice as the pair began to ascend. "Who's got you?" _And I don't even care that you look like a circus performer in those tights right now. Just don't drop me. _

When her feet touched solid ground again and stood inches from this strange man, Lois found her voice again as he seemingly waited for her to speak. "Who, who are…you?" Lois found herself admiring the stranger's incredible physique. _Damn you're cute. Alright, maybe you can actually pull off wearing tights, considering you don't seem to have an ounce of fat on you._

"A friend."

He smiled with assurance, and then suddenly soared into the air above the city. Lois's heart raced as her eyes tracked his every move in complete disbelief.

A man who flew. No one would believe her. _Great, Lane. Riveting question. Way to use your fantastic reporter interview skills. Chief will probably want a nose dive off another building to score a real interview. Like hell I'd do that again….hmm, well maybe that's not so bad. Right place, right time…_

Lois Lane made a silent vow to wear something far more flattering than the hard lined suits if she went on another rooftop in the near future.

* * *

**I hope you found this Chapter entertaining, please review and let me know how I did! Thanks. Constructive criticism welcome, nasty snippy comments I can do without.**


	2. Lost and Insecure

**Author's note: I hope this Chapter is a good continuation of the prior. Please R & R! Thanks so much. Again, NiteAngel's beta assistance was much appreciated!**

Lost and Insecure

* * *

A less than subtle wind picked up, an updraft brought with it a sweet fresh smell of rain that hung in the air. Clark looked up as clouds had begun to build off the balcony of Lois's apartment over the water of Hobb's Bay.

In the distance, the towering thunderheads that billowed in the indigo hued sky flickered a sporadic pattern of pale yellow and illuminated the clouds. The dampness had increased along with a shift in temperatures. Both watched in silence the clouds that drifted closer to Metropolis from the black waters. A low lull of thunder rumbled in the distance.

Lois looked across the sky into the rolling clouds. She seemed to search for an answer that would solve their predicatment.

Clark chose to break the silence that had formed when the two came to an impasse.

"I didn't mean for any of this to happen, Lois."

"I know," she spoke softly in contemplation. "But it did. You didn't mean for me to remember any of it." The woman curled her legs up to her chest, rested her head on her knees and looked at him with melancholy. "Why?"

A deep roll of thunder caused her head to turn again to the storm that moved quickly. The long slender fingers that had set down the glass on the floor combed the thick wavy hair from her face.

"I thought it would have been better that way. It wasn't."

"No, it wasn't. I would have preferred to have chosen that for myself though."

"I couldn't bear to watch you suffer."

A deep roll of thunder caused her head to turn again to the storm that moved quickly.

"So you thought just disappearing for five years was a better solution? Come on! I was actually worried if you were even alive before I was mad as hell at you. So I didn't suffer then?" It was a rhetorical question. "Because I can assure you, _I did_. There were more than one occasion when I could have used your help, when _Metropolis_ could have used it, and when you _weren't _there… it was more than just a bit inconvenient."

* * *

Cold sweat prickled along the nape of Lois's neck and began to roll down between her shoulder blades. The ice laden metal of an old fire escape jutted abruptly into the mid-thoracic region of her back as she was forcibly detained. Some great plan this turned out to be. The choice she made earlier in the evening to follow a lead that was too promising seemed foolish at this juncture.

Another sharp jab into her ribcage triggered a jagged breath as Lois inhaled. Her gasp for air was only met by the pungent foul breath of the muscle that no doubt was hired by Luthor. It would have been an amateur assumption to dismiss the ability of the jailed man to extend a criminal influence behind prison bars.

"Where's your boyfriend now?"

"I don't have a boyfriend, _asshole."_ Her knee jabbed at the inner thigh of the attacker who only briefly flinched. "What I do have will be an incredibly pissed off friend in red and blue if you don't grow a brain and let me go." She writhed beneath his firm grasp that only tightened around her throat. "Really, you're_ that_ stupid? You know, he can hear my heartbeat, let alone one whisper,_ moron._."

"I don't see your friend anywhere. I guess he found something… or someone better to _do_."

The metal bar dug into her spine as her back violently arched, forcing her upper body backward. Her feet fought to remain on the floor of the fire escape; they were the only things that prevented her attacker from succeeding to entirely flip her body over the rail and send her face first into the alley three floors below.

With the pain intensifying along her contorted spine, her eyes widened with terror as they looked directly down to the snow covered cement beneath. "Just tell that bald dick of a boss you've got that I'm not easily gotten rid of."

"Yeah, I've heard that…" his foul breath caused her to cringe. "I've been told you're a bit like a cockroach."

An arm that clung to the railing to prevent herself from being pitched backward suddenly released, flung forward in a last ditch effort to land a solid punch. The man grinned maniacally, grabbed her forearm and pinned it behind her back. With a wink and a final laugh, swiftly flipped Lois over the railing and sent her into a freefall to the alleyway below.

"Help!" she screamed as the ground rose rapidly to meet her. Everything went dark as a loud crack sounded.

Lois quickly regained her composure and looked up at the fire escape three stories above that was now vacant. Her attacker had fled. Perhaps he had meant to kill her, or threaten her with a warning. An intense throbbing pain seared through her right femur and knee.

"Thanks a lot, Clark," she grumbled. "Trying to teach me a lesson in journalistic stupidity? Yeah, I know, a horrible tip. I can't take you for granted, I get it." She cringed, waited with the utmost faith that the familiar flap of his cape and footfall of his boots crunching across the fresh snow would come at any moment.

Lois's hand rubbed her right leg only to wince in blinding pain as her fingertips ran over a sharp piece of bone that had suddenly protruded through her thigh. A pool of warm and bright crimson blood began to form, surrounding her and saturating the white snow. She inhaled sharply and bit into her bottom lip to prevent herself from losing consciousness. The only sounds in the alley were sporadic distant police sirens and the constant soft white noise of traffic in Metropolis.

Her almost numb fingers pried a cell phone from the pocket of her jeans and dialed 911. _Where the hell was he?_

Superman had never let her fall so far before and had _not _caught her. Of course it would have been complete arrogance to assume that she was more important than any other potential situation that called for his attention, but hell, he loved her, they were_ intimate_ and she knew _every _sordid detail about him; even who he was when he did not wear a red and blue uniform. That ought to mean_ something_. She was flung off a balcony, cried for help and none came.

_Nothing. _

Snow began to fall again as her head lifted to search her surroundings. Not only had he been absent during her plummet to the ground, but was still nowhere in sight. A sense of unease began to rise and bubble in her stomach. Something was wrong.

* * *

A brilliant flash in the afternoon sky with a black trail of smoke was visible through the expansive Daily Planet windows and caught each reporter's attention. A secretary gasped as immediately, a roar of massive jet engines followed.

Before anyone was able to digest what had just occurred, a low pitched boom shook the floor beneath their feet. Coffee cups on the desks rattled in tandem with the large window panes that overlooked the skyscrapers in the cramped skyline.

After the deafening noise, the bullpen of The Planet was silent, as each person stilled as if they were statues, frozen in the midst of an activity. Jimmy Olson's head turned slowly to the windows as smoke began to rise from what had to be only a few miles from their location.

Everyone waited.

Along with everyone else, Lois was able to hear her own shallow respirations. She grabbed her PDA, purse and kept her attention fixated upon the impressive view, ready to spring into action if Perry did or did not give her the nod. What the hell just happened?

Something massively wrong had just occurred. Her palms grew cold and clammy simultaneously as her mouth lost the ability to swallow with increasing dryness. The only deviation her eyes took from the sky was to dart briefly to those of the new assistant editor nearby.

Richard White nodded.

"I know a pair of crutches won't slow you down. Take Jimmy with you, and his car. Go."

"Wait," she whispered.

Her eyes pleaded for the sky to produce Superman. He should have been there by now.

Clark had not been in the office for the past few days. A mounting suspicion crept beneath her skin that perhaps something had happened to him but she could not exactly blow his identity to a room full of reporters. She had to remain silent.

The color drained from her face as Lois continued to search the sky.

There had to be a reasonable explanation. He had to come, just had to. Where was he? Perhaps he was on the other side of the planet in a massive disaster elsewhere.

Sirens in the streets below echoed through the canyons of city blocks. Police, ambulances and fire trucks, more than Lois or anyone else were able to recall at one singular moment. It had to have been a plane crash, or a massive meteor. Nothing else could have caused that trail of fire in the sky. What still remained in question was what had it collided with on the ground.

Lois kept her eyes vertical, searching for the familiar blur of red and blue. _Any time now, Clark, come on!_

She waited.

The bullpen was eerily silent. It was commonplace for more noise within the confines of the floor at 2:00 am rather than what should have been the busiest time of day nearing 4:30 pm.

A second wave of countless emergency vehicles zoomed past the building in the streets below as the smoke that billowed had only grown in size and intensity.

The crutches clanked in a brisk rhythmic pattern across the otherwise silent room. "Jim, keys, camera. Let's go. Now."

"Lois," Jimmy called as he shook himself from the horrific scene. "He's not here yet."

"I know." It was all she could muster for a response. "Maybe he's busy, he'll get here when he can, Jimmy."

The pair clambered into the elevator and descended to the parking deck.

"Yeah, I'm sure he's busy. By the time we'll get there he'll have it under control."

"I hope so."

As Jimmy's small car zipped through the congested streets Lois turned over her underlying doubt with any feasible sense of rationalization again and again that perhaps Clark had been needed more elsewhere.

Regrettably, Lois knew nothing had turned up on the television stations, nor had any faxes or tips been received from their sister papers across the globe that had indicated such. He_ had_ to be there. Beneath the whir of the auto's engine, she whispered, "Oh, Superman, where are you? We need you."

"Lois, I can't park anywhere," he exclaimed in frustration.

"Well use your imagination. Make a space, damn it!"

His wide eyes examined her for any remaining ounce of sanity. "I can't do that!"

"I'm _handicapped."_ The crutches shook as a prop next to her in the seat. "They'll let us. Besides, we've got press credentials…" she huffed, and exited the car.

"For what, parking on the sidewalk? You're going to owe me one hell of a parking fine, you know that?"

The wind had shifted. Smoke blew in their direction and stung their eyes as the pair made their way through police barricades that had hastily been erected. The familiar figure of Fire chief Macknowitz loomed in front of them.

The seasoned fireman turned as Lois placed her hand on his shoulder. "Where the hell is he?" the man barked in Lois's general direction. Fear laced his words.

"What?" Her stomach fell as traces of bile filled her mouth. "Superman's not here yet?"

"No. I was hoping you knew where he was."

"I don't." She blanched, grew quiet and searched the massive flames. In rapid fire, Jimmy's automatic shutter sputtered to capture images.

The photographer briefly paused as the hitch of disbelief was apparent in Lois's voice.

"Chief Macknowitz, what happened?" Her eyes moved upward amongst the flames and sky that was smeared with smoke. Her knuckles grew white as the crutch hand-grips were squeezed tightly.

"We were radioed ten minutes ago from air traffic control that a 777 on emergency en route to Metropolis Airport had a massive mechanical failure and fire on board. The engines were out and it caught fire. It turned into basically a massive fireball before they could land and crashed into the Union Train Station."

An unsteady hand nervously combed back her hair that had flopped in her face. A plume of condensation rose as she exhaled into the icy afternoon air. Her eyes were transfixed to the numbingly apocalyptic scenario that unfolded.

They did not need to be any closer to the hellish disaster to hear the raging fire, the warping of metal and screams for Superman or any one else who could help. This was unlike anything any of them had previously witnessed. It was quite simply, hell on earth.

The fire chief's pained expression of vulnerability and inadequacy sent a chill rippling through her flesh despite the sweat that dripped down the small of her back. Her tongue that had become glued to the roof of her mouth had freed itself. Unlike the subtle attempt in Jimmy's car, she found herself pleading shamelessly aloud, without abandon and for everyone to hear.

"Superman, please, we _need_ you. _Now_. We can't do this without you."

The number of casualties would be incredibly high; everyone knew it. This was not a run of the mill standard Metropolis disaster; it was of grand catastrophic proportions. The police and fire crews needed Superman's help but he was not there.

Her knees lost their ability to keep her legs stable and began to collapse. She steadied herself on the crutches.

"What if he's not coming?" Fear spread across her face.

"He's Superman, Lois. He'll come," Jimmy replied faithfully. "He's got to."

The photographer chose to ignore the doubt in Lois's voice.

"Yeah, but what if he doesn't?" She swallowed and looked into Jimmy's s eyes. "Then what?"

Another wave of firemen from a further district rushed past as Fire Chief Macknowitz yelled orders for the fresh emergency team and directed them to the largest portion of the fire.

Lois's face fell as she turned her head, leaned against a nearby car and fought to maintain any semblance of composure. At that moment she knew. Clark was not coming. _He's not coming. Oh, Clark, where are you? We need you._ Something had happened to him. She knew it.

The three veterans looked at each other with impending dread; they knew Superman was not coming. None of them wanted to believe it.

* * *

Lois was late. Not exactly five minutes late either…but_ late_.

The travertine bathroom tile was not only hard, but an icy contrast to the exposed skin on Lois's back as she lay on the floor and blankly stared toward the ceiling. Lois rolled over onto her stomach, pressed a cheek to the tiles and looked in the direction of the pedestal sink where the pregnancy strip lay on the floor at its base… where it had landed after it was flung in frustration.

The repulsive metallic taste of bile rose in her throat as she scrambled to her knees and clung to the porcelain toilet basin. After having glanced briefly at her faint haggard reflection in the water, she vomited.

Fatigued and unsteady, the lost and insecure woman propped herself up against the wall. Her frame began to heave without control as she sobbed.

Lois began to slide down the wall again, with trembling hands that obstructed her reddened face. The immensely powerful sensation of suffocating caused her to gasp for oxygen that was seemingly nonexistent.

The Catholic faith in which Lois had been baptized was never devoutly followed after her childhood, but since Clark's sudden prolonged absence, Lois prayed nightly for his safety and return. No one knew what became of Superman who had vanished as quickly and mysteriously as he had first appeared a few years ago. An incredible fear gnawed at the woman that perhaps he had befallen a horrible fate and would never return.

Pregnant, alone. A ridiculous cliché.

A plethora of questions without any answers swirled and flooded her mind that ranged from what color of hair the baby would have, the duration of the pregnancy and what abilities the child might have if Lois herself survived the birth. After all, no one had any notion as to how Kryptonians were born, at least one born to a human mother. Lois was terrified but determined to carry the child to term.

The timing of the situation was far from ideal; however, Lois would have been damned to do anything other than do her best to prepare for the infant. Ready or not, like hell. She would be ready. Just at that moment, it seemed insurmountable.

A hand rubbed what would be a soon rapidly expanding abdomen and looked down.

"Well, it's you and me, kid. I haven't a clue what to do."

Her eyes returned to the window and into the sky strewn with grey rain clouds for any indication of the man of steel. Perhaps if she concentrated fully, she could will him to appear. Occasional smatters of rain began to strike the glass panes. At least the weather seemed to suit her mood.

"Oh, baby, where is your father? I hope he's alright. I wish I knew."

Every inch of her flesh and bones ached with loneliness.

* * *

With another forceful push forward by the massive rockets strapped overhead on the Space Shuttle, the 777 groaned and lurched forward.

Lois gasped as blinding pain pulsed through each inch of her body as one final blow chucked her against the aft bulkhead. Her head struggled against the G force that kept her frame prisoner against the wall and peered through a window. The giant wings had begun to bow under the speed that had far outpaced the airliner's maximum flight speed. It seemed as if the wings were about to snap.

They were rocketing further into the atmosphere, almost nearing the edges of their own mesosphere. Her thoughts flashed to Richard, her on again off again boyfriend, mother and sister but mostly her son Jason. Jason who would grow up without a mother. The vision of her son's questioning blue eyes that were inherited from his father was disrupted by a flash of color that sliced past the window.

Red. Blue. It had been five years. It couldn't be. The lack of blood flow to her brain must have caused a hallucination. A rhythmic pound sounded above. Lois turned her head toward the ceiling. It sounded as if someone was walking across the top of the plane. Another hallucination. It had to be. Superman was gone, without a trace for five years.

Suddenly the roar of the rocket engines was conspicuously absent. Pencils, PDA's, bags as well as herself began to float amidst the cabin. It was an incredible sensation, she grasped for a pen that seemingly floated past her in the deafening silence.

As quickly as the lack of gravity came, it vanished and with it, Lois was flung sideways haphazardly against the windows of the plane like a rag-doll. Her body limply ricocheted toward the front of the main cabin of the Boeing airplane.

The plane was plummeting to Earth and Lois became pinned against the underside of the overhead compartment.

With a slight decrease in acceleration, Lois was freed from the G force that kept her against the ceiling and roughly landed on the floor. Disregarded were the throbbing in both knees as she crawled up the isle.

An outstretched hand of a Boston Globe correspondent grasped her own and pulled Lois into an empty seat. While her unsteady hands hastily fastened the seat belt she flashed him a brief feeble smile of gratitude despite the darkness of their predicament. The woman bent forward and began to pray for forgiveness that she had not been more faithful in her adult life; that if God did in fact exist, she would be spared painful death.

The plane pitched nose down and her body strained against the seatbelt. It began to roll in a tight spiral as the landscape grew more defined and larger through the windows. The metal groaned. Her hand sought the man's who had provided her assistance, grasped it tightly and closed her eyes, bracing for impact. The metal of the airplane's body around them groaned, almost rippled as everyone's bodies surged forward and the seatbelt cut into her waist.

The only impact had been a firm thud from the floor that slammed the belly of the plane against the ground and settled everyone upright in their seats. She blinked. The other journalists and passengers pulled off the yellow oxygen masks, panting in an adrenaline surge and looked at each other in complete disbelief.

As the passengers attempted to digest what had just occurred, the cabin door blew from its hinges without warning. Immediately a familiar sound of footsteps followed. The intense pressure in Lois's chest painfully pulsated in tandem with each step.

"Is everyone alright?"

She froze and gasped for breath. A long dormant wave of electricity immediately coursed through her veins.

Between the seats ahead, the eyes of Jason's father looked directly at her. It was _him_. He had saved them. Lois inhaled sharply with his direct eye contact. After five years, Superman was here.

With a racing heart, burning cheeks and unsteady hands, Lois gripped the seat in front of her. Seemingly as if her legs no longer belonged to her, she stood. Her throat ran dry, the palms of her hands began to sweat as she looked at him with an extremely intimate expression of amazement, injury and incredulity.

He spoke again; only this time, painfully obvious it was directly to her. "Are you okay?"

Lois clung to the seat to keep her seemingly paper doll legs from folding. Her mouth hung agape as she felt hundreds of eyes burning into her back. Everyone was watching them. How could they not? She knew the rumors between herself and the Man of Steel.

_After all these years, Clark, you _found_ me. Where the hell have you been?_

* * *

A worn hospital blanket rubbed listlessly between the index finger and thumb of Lois Lane. Her fingertips gently traced up the form that lay beneath them. This was Clark, her friend, Superman, her lover, the father of their son. He was impervious to bullets and belonged in the sky, not balancing a thin line between life and death in a hospital bed.

Lois found it bitterly ironic that the hero who had saved countless lives seemed unable to save himself.

_How many times have you saved me, how many times did I even thank you? I've got to be the most ungrateful person alive._

With a resignation to combat the unstable knees, she collapsed in the chair next to the bedside as her white-knuckled fingers gripped firmly to the bedrail. Guilt began to gnaw at her stomach.

_How many times did I pray and wish for him to come back… I can't believe I turned him away. Oh, Clark, I love you. Why have I been so stubborn?_ The figure beneath the sheets became distorted as her eyes burned with tears

Her low voice fell softly. "Where did we go wrong?" An unsteady hand came to rest upon his chest that rose incredibly slow. A genuine fear gripped Lois as his body temperature was akin to when he had laid unconscious on the floor of Richard's sea plane. She began to sob with the horrid thought that perhaps she may never be able to make a reconciliation. "I've lost you, my friend."

The small fist that her other hand clung to wriggled free and the child that it belonged to trotted to the corner, mesmerized by the red and blue uniform – that belonged to the man – neatly folded on a chair. The red boots rested beneath, as if they waited.

Lois looked up; the monitors that displayed the low heart rhythm and oxygen rate remained constant, callous and indifferent to the situation that plagued them. Her lips brushed against his ear and burned.

"You have a son."

Without retreating or drawing backward, the tip of Lois's nose traced along the prominent cheekbone of her old lover, down along the side of his mouth. Her cheek rested against his. Lois inhaled deeply and took in the unique smell that had haunted her for five years.

Lois had nearly forgotten his smell, but there it was. Beneath the grime, the metallic traces of blood that burned in her nostrils, it was there; it was him.

She longed for when things were simple, innocent with only black and white, not the vast expanses of varying shades of grey that surrounded them.

From the depths of the sea, to the raging crowds at Metropolis General, she had found him.

"I found you," she choked.

A heaviness pushed upon her chest, dragged the absolute pit of her stomach to the floor when he did not stir. Fear had again stolen her voice but had spared her ability to move.

Compelled by an urge so deep and profound, Lois remained bent over the bed, her nose touching the wounded man's and her eyes fluttered closed. The warm lips brushed gently over his; he, who had kissed her years ago; kissed her the way no one else ever had.

"I love you, and I'm _not_ losing you again," she whispered in his ear and clamped her eyes shut. The woman berated herself for the childish maneuver; as if a kiss would awaken the man who lay so still. No one was Sleeping Beauty, neither of their lives were fairytales.

"Come on, baby," she uttered as Jason longingly looked over his shoulder. The two exited the door to the quiet and secure hallway. Lois did not look back. She feared that if she had, that she would have been unable to leave his side.

* * *

**Like it? Love it? Hated it? Let me know. Two more Chapters to follow. Again, broken record says, please review. Thanks.**


	3. Losing Her the Only One Who's Ever Known

**Again; thanks so much to NiteAngel for her beta assistance.**

* * *

Loosing Her The Only One Who's Ever Known

A brilliant flash of lightening splayed boldly across the sky nearly overhead. Clark stood, quietly moved to where Lois sat and took her small hands in his. She retracted her hands from his and stood inches from him.

"Despite your efforts and intentions, Clark, you can't save me from everything."

Cold droplets of rain began to splatter the balcony. Neither moved to retreat inside.

"I know," he replied with an odd tone that caused the flesh beneath Lois's skin to creep.

Rain began to pour from the black sky above the couple as a deafening pound of thunder rattled the windows of the glass door. Concern for the electrical storm that had begun overhead was apparent in the hero's face.

Clark removed his glasses and without looking down, slid them into a pocket of his jacket. The heavy rainfall that covered the lenses and the knowledge of who he was made them pointless. His attention stayed riveted on Lois.

The un-obscured face of Superman immediately struck her. She had known he was the Man of Steel, but it had been years since she had seen him this way; so exposed. The simple gesture seemed one of surrender. Her stomach lurched.

"I'm not moving" she yelled above the roar of the rain that pummeled the city. "We both know you'd never let anything happen to me."

"But I did. I let you die," he stated darkly

"You did _what_?" She pinched herself dramatically. "I'm still here and believe me, there were plenty of occasions when you were gone I had wished that I wasn't." Her hair and clothing were saturated, plastered to her frame that quivered in cold and raw emotion.

"Lois, you died, and I let it happen." The hair along the back of her neck prickled.

Lois fell silent.

His eyes that burned in the dark were burdened. The horrific image had been seared into his memory since the instant it had occurred.

_The fingers that clawed at the dirt ceased, no longer battled debris that poured into the car that held her captive. The calls for help had ceased, her ragged breathing suddenly muted from his hearing as the semi-submerged automobile came into view. _

_The brute unparalleled strength he possessed was absent, vividly contradictory to the delicacy and softness in which the cold and lifeless form of Lois Lane was cradled in his arms. _

_He had saved thousands of lives, but could not save hers. A cry of anguish rose in his throat, expounded into the desert air as he soared into the mesosphere at the limit of his blinding speed. He began to race westward with any reserve of energy he could muster. He was going to save her. Damn the consequences._

"I made a choice, Lois. I turned the earth backwards, reversed the span of time and saved you." His confession continued. "Lois, I chose to save you but not without consequence, I couldn't stop a broken dam from flooding a subdivision… hundreds of people drowned."

He had never told anyone of the incredibly selfish sacrifice he made. But it was Lois, he had to. It was the only time he had ever put his own needs ahead of humanity's. He had not done it since then.

Lois was numb. Completely void of any emotion. Nothing except sudden nausea that had risen in her stomach that bubbled to the surface.

How was one to feel after Superman professed that he spun the Earth backward and bargained hundreds of lives just for her. It was an unfathomably impossible decision.

She knew he loved her; from the moment he had taken her soaring into the velvety night sky and silver clouds… but such a sacrifice was incomprehensible. Completely something beyond anything she had ever steeled herself to weather.

It was impossible to remain furious with a man who loved her with such resolve. Not that she didn't want to, but this… thing between the two of them, it was larger and more significant than petty arguments and grudges that had been erected five years ago. He had sacrificed lives for hers. How could she compete with that?

Lois slowly approached him, her toes touched his, placed a hand on his chest, pressed her forehead against his and whispered. "You turned the earth backward…you did that…to save me?"

"Yes."

"I'm just one person. Clark, not that I'm ungrateful, believe me, but why?"

"Because I couldn't be on this Earth without you, I loved you. Still do, despite how you feel about me and the choices I've made."

Tears began to well in Lois's eyes. They splashed down amidst the rain that continued to fall.

"I may have been mad at you, but I _never_ stopped loving you…there's a difference. Clark, I still love you and as much as it burns me to admit it, that's not going to change. At some point I have to move on, but I can't do that without _you_."

Abruptly, an incredibly rude intrusion on their life-altering conversation came. A blinding flash of lightening sizzled and an instant ear splitting boom of thunder rattled the windows. The sudden and all too familiar distant look clouded over Clark's eyes. He was listening to something.

"What is it?" her voice fell in disappointment.

They would never be able to have a complete conversation without an interruption. This is how things would be. It came with the territory.

"A lightening strike."

Her hands floated upward and caressed his upper arms, traveled along the ravines of his biceps as his fingertips drifted down her back in a tantalizing fashion that was utterly distracting. Disasters came at such inconvenient times.

The contradiction of anger and longing was torture, and she not only liked it, but found the odd sensation alluring. Lois wanted nothing more at that moment that to shred every inch of clothing that covered his skin.

"Metropolis has a damn good fire department. Clark, they can handle it without you. Stay."

His head shook with visible regret. His heated stare smoldered amidst the pounding summer rain. "But you know how this is…" he trailed with regret.

She sighed. "I do. Go," she said, resigned. He was every bit Superman. The wants and needs of others ranked far above his own. Despite his confession to her to the contrary, she had never witnessed otherwise. Lois began to slowly unfasten each button of his already waterlogged shirt and tie.

"Fifty-fifth and Lake St. I'll see you there."

Lois feigned offense. "Our son is sleeping in the next room. What kind of mother do you think I am?"

"A journalist," he replied as the tie slid languidly from the collar and flopped to the floor; the shirt parted to reveal the uniform beneath as water dripped from his black hair.

"You know me so well," she admitted.

"Of course."

It would have been far more time efficient to strip his mundane attire faster than the human eye could follow, transforming into the blue suit but it had been five long years since Lois had her hands on him in such a tantalizing fashion. He looked up, no one within their vicinity was watching and he found himself unable to rebuff her assistance.

"Gloria is used to the late evening calls for babysitting. It's not the first time she's kept an eye on Jason at odd hours. Thank goodness she lives next door and loves him as much as a grandmother."

"At least you've got a head start on the other reporters."

"Especially you," she quipped.

"I've got to go. Really," he spoke with urgency and regret. As he stepped back the remainder of his clothing peeled away with the blink of an eye.

"I know. Just be careful."

"I will." Superman turned to face the sky with the cape that flapped in the gust of harsh wind. His head turned again toward hers. "You have my word."

"I know." Warm summer rain cascaded down her hair and forehead.

"I love you." He smiled, quickly looked skyward and shot into the torrents of rain.

"I know. But this doesn't get you off the hook, buster. I can't quite remember how that suit of yours unfastens. Might have to come back and refresh my memory on that one." She smirked as she ducked inside and grabbed her coat. "It's the least you can do to help me forgive you."

* * *

**Alright, last chapter comming up. Please Review, haven't had too many lately. Hmmm. Maybe it just really sucks. I don't know.**


	4. Just a Little Late You Found Me

**Just wanted to say that without NiteAngel's help on this one, well, she was a big help, thanks so much!**

* * *

Just a Little Late You Found Me

Thick smoke created by the vicious lightening strike billowed into the night sky. The flickers of orange and crimson from the flames illuminated the massive toxic clouds.

S.T.A.R labs housed many chemical compounds that if released into the atmosphere could be incredibly hazardous to the majority of Metropolis residents within a twenty-mile radius.

The non-descript but incredibly vital lab also housed many samples of Superman's own blood. The research that had been performed on them was the primary reason that he had survived the plummet to earth after lifting New Krypton into space.

Clark knew that within minutes, years of progressive scientific research inclusive of vital records of his own would soon be destroyed in the hungry flames. However the more severe situation would be the sacrifice of many lives if he didn't intervene and soon.

Screams of employees who had been working late echoed in Superman's ears from below. Without a hesitation, he rocketed down into the searing fire as explosions erupted in rhythmic succession.

He sliced through the roof of the expansive building, only to leave a hole in his wake.

He touched down amidst the smoke and flames.

"Anyone here?" Superman's voice boomed over the crackling fire as his boots touched down amidst the red and white hot embers.

The only sounds that met his ears were the snaps of timber and groaning of metal that warped in the searing heat. It was hot. More so than he had experienced since his return or in any memory.

"Superman, help!" A man's voice gasped beneath the smoke as he coughed.

"Easy, sir. Stay where you are."

"I'm in the west wing. Please hurry!" Panic was apparent in his elevated tone.

A cascade of embers showered upon his back. They began to sear his flesh as confusion spread. His eyes widened in surprise. This had never happened before in any other fire he had provided assistance.

Suddenly, without any forewarning, the floor beneath gave way. With the seemingly retard in time, Superman was startled that he did not hear the floorboards beginning to crack before they actually broke apart. The floor disappeared beneath his feet as he attempted to keep himself afloat in the air.

Instantly as the beams collapsed, his body plummeted along with the burning debris and ceiling. _I can't fly. Something's wrong_. More white embers ricocheted against his chest and to his surprise, stung and burned into the suit as welts were left behind.

Kryptonite. It was here. It had to be the only logical explanation.

As he gasped, everything went black.

* * *

A large chemical mushroom cloud erupted into the sky as another fire began. Shattering glass echoed into the alleyways as Lois gasped for breath. Her feet knew the routine well, they failed to break stride as the sneakers splashed through the numerous puddles and potholes amongst the fire trucks.

Her face fell as soon as she reached the intersection. It was S.T.A.R. Labs that burned. Of course the intersection had sounded familiar. Panic overtook her system as she searched skyward amidst the orange flames of the raging inferno that surged into the black sky.

She had to warn him. There was kryptonite at STAR labs. Perhaps it was not there prior to his departure five years ago, but it was most certainly there now. It would kill him.

"Superman!" she gasped as her feet lead her closer to the searing heat. "Don't go in," she yelled into the night sky. Lois prayed that he would hear her above the cries for help that she was certain had flooded his ears.

"Lois!" A familiar voice amidst the crackles and sirens caused the reporter's head to turn.

"Dr. Hamilton!" she exclaimed. "The Kryptonite in there! We've got to warn him unless it's been moved." She searched the older scientist's eyes for any agreement that the fatal substance had been moved without her knowledge.

"I tried, but by the time I saw him he dove straight into the fire…" his voice trailed as another explosion triggered strong vibrations beneath their feet. "Lois, I'm sorry."

Lois's eyes widened in fear.

"It's still in there isn't it? The Kryptonite." She yelled above the roar as her eyes nervously searched the flames that licked the metal framework of the non-descript warehouse. Sweat began to form along her hairline and tickle down the sides of her face.

"He's already extinguished half of the building. There wasn't any Kryptonite in the other part, however this wing…" his voice trailed

"No," she breathed.

Lois flung her bag and vital information to the ground. She turned and threw her cell phone to the stunned physician. "If anything happens…" her voice trailed as sad eyes looked with remorse into the flames and back at the man. "Call Richard White. Tell him…" she choked. "Tell him that I love Jason very much."

Dr Hamilton was unable to identify if the toxic smoke or the emotion of the situation caused the tears to form in Lois Lane's eyes. "Alright." It was all he could say as she began to run full force into the building.

After all, the only man on earth who would have been able to stop her had rocketed into the blaze that was laden with Kryptonite. Assuredly signing his own death warrant.

The scientist looked down at the small device that rested in the palms that trembled.

"Alright, Lois."

* * *

The surroundings were unfamiliar and slow to come into focus. His eyes burned as he blinked them, the room became more clear. It was a hospital.

Metropolis General.

A small hand grasped his tightly on the bedside. Clark's head turned as his eyes followed Lois's arm, traveling up to her face.

A sharp inhale and cloudiness in his lungs triggered a sudden cough to expel whatever smoke that had remained. The sleeping figure next to his bed jumped at the sound. Lois rubbed her eyes and shifted in the chair as a lazy smile spread.

"You're awake," she whispered. "I was so worried."

"I'll be alright, Lois."

"I don't know if my back will be…this is_ not_ a comfortable chair to sleep in. Got any special abilities to fix that?"

"Only my two hands."

She blushed at the blatant fliration. "Deal. You owe me."

He shifted in the bed and became puzzled. The forearms and biceps that were not covered by the hospital gown had sporadic bandages and tape. "There had to have Kryptonite in that building. That had to have been the only reason for the fire to have caused this."

Lois nodded. "Kryptonite had been moved to S.T.A.R labs a few years ago. I didn't realize that's the building that was on fire when you told me the intersection. I should have remembered." Her head shook in regret at her memory lapse. "I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault Lois, I should have known better." He cringed. His hasty choice to dive into the inferno at S.T.A.R Labs without scanning the premises was an embarrassing mistake and nearly a fatal one.

"You're just a bit rusty, we both are I guess. But you're here," she smiled in relief. "You'll heal."

"The last thing I remember is the floor caved in and I went with it. How did I get out of the building?"

She remained silent, suddenly became fascinated at picking her cuticles.

His brow furrowed then shot up at what she'd said earlier. "Lois… what did you mean when you said I owed you?"

She continued to remain silent.

"Lois…"

She huffed. "I ignored the firemen, alright? Like hell I was going to just sit there. I was fine. I even took a fire extinguisher." She rolled her eyes. "I dragged your sorry behind out and believe me, Mister, you're not light weight." Lois rubbed her ankle. "Gave me a sprained ankle too. Look, you're here, aren't you?"

"It was you… you found me." He struggled to sit upright.

Lois bent down to meet him, stroked his cheek, gently kissed him, brushing her lips against his and pulled back to meet his eyes. She searched his eyes and smiled.

"Damn right I did."

* * *

**The End. **

**I hope this four chapter fic was entertaining, again...let me know what you think about it. I hope those of you that have read this far just kept your opinons to yourselves considering you already knew I was finished with it. **


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